NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release Ministry of Health 2019HLTH0025-000132 Northern Health Feb. 1, 2019 Better supports for seniors in the North with age-friendly grants
PRINCE GEORGE – From Kitimat to Tumbler Ridge, seven communities in northern B.C. are receiving age-friendly grants to support seniors so they can live active, socially engaged and independent lives.
“We’re proud to say that this round of age-friendly grants is the second largest we’ve ever had,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “That means even more communities have the opportunity to create age-friendly spaces, opportunities and programs for their local seniors to be engaged.”
A total of $729,500 in age-friendly grants is being provided to B.C. communities in 2019, including, for the first time, four First Nations communities.
“Seniors are at the heart of their communities, and it’s important that they are able to age well at home so they can continue to contribute positively to their neighbourhoods,” said Anne Kang, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors. “The impact of the age-friendly grants is great, and because of the success of the program, we have seen it grow year after year.”
Grants will be distributed to Fraser Lake, McBride, Tumbler Ridge, Kitimat, Prince George, Quesnel and Valemount. The communities’ projects and plans include:
• assessing Fraser Lake’s activities to make them age-friendly in all four seasons; • working with seniors in McBride to create a plan for an age-friendly future; • reviewing age-friendly work so far in Tumbler Ridge with a plan to meet further needs; • working on the Reaching Seniors Without Walls home visit program with Better at Home in Kitimat; • a housing symposium to provide information for seniors in Prince George; • creating a local seniors council in Quesnel; and • hosting a Festival of Engaging Aging Residents in Valemount.
The 2019 age-friendly grants will be distributed to 37 communities throughout B.C., three more than the number that received grants in 2018 and more than double the number that received grants in 2017. Together, up to $122,720 will be awarded to communities in northern B.C. to help make their communities more accessible and inclusive for older adults.
Communities that have completed steps toward becoming age-friendly can be officially recognized by the Province as an age-friendly British Columbia community. In 2018, New Westminster and Mackenzie were officially recognized as age-friendly for their work in making them more accessible and inclusive for older adults.
The age-friendly communities grant program is a partnership between the Province and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. In September 2018, local governments and First Nations communities were invited to apply for grants and encouraged to consider projects that focused on accessibility, aging well, physical activity and non-medical home supports. Successful applicants are eligible to apply for a range of services from BC Healthy Communities Society to support their project.
Learn More:
More information about Age-friendly BC can be found online: http://www.gov.bc.ca/agefriendly
A backgrounder follows.
Contact: Ministry of Health Communications 250 952-1887 (media line)
Connect with the Province of B.C. at: news.gov.bc.ca/connect BACKGROUNDER For Immediate Release Ministry of Health 2019HLTH0025-000132 Northern Health Feb. 1, 2019 2019 age-friendly community planning and project grant recipients
Fraser Lake
Project: The Fraser Lake age-friendly assessment will focus on outdoor places and buildings to enable older adults to enjoy age-friendly activities during all four seasons. With input from the older adult community, an action plan will synchronize the village's age-friendly targets and requirements for age-friendly community designation.
Amount: $24,445
McBride
Project: Working with seniors in the community and partners that include Northern Health and the McBride Chamber of Commerce, McBride will assess its current age-friendly status and create a plan that will work toward creating an age-friendly environment that will improve the quality of life for current and future seniors.
Amount: $22,600
Tumbler Ridge
Project: Tumbler Ridge plans to review the age-friendly community work done to date, identify gaps in its planning and develop a framework for further action. One of the objectives is to develop a list of priorities to create an inclusive community for all ages and individuals with mobility challenges.
Amount: $25,000
Kitimat
Project: The pilot program, Reaching Seniors Without Walls, will be an extension of the home- visit program that is conducted through the Better at Home program. It will provide support to clients who are resistant to home visits in the form of ongoing telephone chats with a buddy. The buddy will be a volunteer matched with the senior who has similar interests. The program will connect with clients on a regular basis and serve as an additional support system for clients that are at risk of isolating themselves, with the hope of evolving into the addition of home visits. Kitimat is an age-friendly recognized community.
Amount: $15,000
Prince George Project: The housing symposium will provide an opportunity for seniors to learn about housing options, resources and initiatives, and to provide feedback about unmet needs along the housing continuum. It will focus on working in partnership with the Prince George Council of Seniors and other community partners to plan and host a one-day housing information and dialogue session in spring 2019.
Amount: $15,000
Quesnel
Project: This project continues Quesnel’s age-friendly work by creating a local seniors’ council, which will be the hub of seniors’ information and assistance, and work toward optimal service provision of transportation, recreation and social services.
Amount: $15,000
Valemount
Project: The Festival of Engaging Aging Residents will include health professional speakers on subjects including foot care, nutrition, arthritis management, wills and retirement, as well as provide eye examinations for participants. A senior contact tree will be started to encourage communication between seniors.
Amount: $5,675
Contact: Ministry of Health Communications 250 952-1887 (media line)
Connect with the Province of B.C. at: news.gov.bc.ca/connect